fJl
Jr rJ
Ll
YIs,!J r*
+
l\ fJ
t\
t
\ ,{ qi
tnMil"'
;\fu +:,;$,*'
# i;
rrilfi llllilflflill
Goingthe Distance
Top 10 things you can do to add distanceto your cast
> While distance casnng isn't always necessary, having the ability to throw alongline does come inhandy attimes.
BY TOM KEER I fatching athletic phenoms Itlf makesusmortalsbelievethat f I we too canachievethat level ofgreatness.TomBradymakesmefeel I canuncork a So-yardbomb while withstandinga RayLewisor Brian Urlacher hit. Watching a really good fly-caster properlyslingoutIIO feetof line inspires in the sameway. Most anglersrealize that long castsarenot alwaysessential, butwhen they arenecessaryit's important to havethe skill in the quiver.Follow thesetips,andyour castingdistancewill increasealmost immediately.
I
) Release llne on your backcast to turbocharge your forward cast. Obviouslyanglersmust load the rod in order to cast.Sowhy not usebackcasts to your advantage?Make a few double hauls to generateline speed,andjust beforeyou presentthe fly, releaseline 34
SEPTEMBER
/
OCTOBER
2011
on your backcast as the tip top crosses over your shoulder. Continue to release Iine, and then abruptly pinch it off. As the line straightens,it will Ioad deepinto the butt of the rod. Now your forward cast will be full of power, and provided that your loop is tight, the line will have enough speed to go the distance.
) Olve steeper tapers the nod. A steepfront taper like the Rio OutBound'sfocusesgrain weight toward the forward portion of the line. With more grain weight at the front, the line makesit easierto establishoverhang, which is the foundationofa gooddouble haul. Start with a water haul or three to get the grain weight beyond the tip top, and go right into a doublehaul. You'll spend less time casting and more time fishing,therebyincreasing your hookups.
) Explore your core. Ifyou've everfelt your braidedDacroncoreflyline thatt beensittingonthe deck of aflats boat in July,thenyou knowthe heatmakesthe line soft.BraidedDacron and mono-corelines arevery different, andfor goodreason.Simplyput,a Dacron line is better for coolerwater becauseit doesn'tgetstiff.Mono-corelinesarebetter for warm water andhot sunbecause they don't get soft.Anglerswho match the coreoftheir line to the fishingcondi- S = tionswill getmuchbetter performance. z
E =
) Make use of water' slngle U and double hauls. I Useone,usetwo, or use'em all. Hauls I 5 increaseline speed,which is essentially I where distancecomesfrom. The water ? haul is surprisingly underutilized, but a the pickup, line-shoot and set-down ,1 F motionreducesthe numberof falsecasts R 6 necessaryfor goingthe distance.
your skiff. Set the rod down in a secure place, grab about a 1O-foot section of the line in your hand and form a letter U with it. Place your foot in the center ofthe line, and pull and hold on both ends. Repeat several times, all the while working toward the front taper and tip.
NEW to the iPad"
) Glean your llne. AAdd a strlpplng gulde to the alr. Oftentimes, anglers with a powerful forward cast find that their line wrapsaroundthe rod blankwhenthey make a presentation cast. Line that wraps around the blank not only slows the Iine speedbut alsocan completely stop your cast. Before shooting the Iine, createa circle in your line hand that lookslike a round strippingguide. This keeps the line organizedand will prevent it from wrapping around the blank. ) Barefoot lt. One of the most common causesof an accidental short cast is stepping on the line. Following a retrieve,the line stacksup on the castingplatform. As the fish repositionin the current or bail offthe flat, it's easyto getpreoccupiedwithpositioningyournextcastand movingaroundon the platform,which usuallyresultsin steppingon the line. Goingbarefootallowsyou to feel the line underyour feetand alsodecreases line-catchingobstructions. ) Stretch your llno. Fly lines have memory, and if they are stored on a reel for an extended period of time, they adaptto the curl of the spool.And occasionally,twists are inadvertently added during a manufacturer'sprocessof addingthe Iine to the card during the packaging. Beforeyou makeyour first cast,be sure to stretchthe line in one of two ways. The first is to haveyour fishingbuddy walk off the entire line on a beachor a field. Have him hold the tip of the fly line while you hold the end of the running line. He shouldwalk until the stretch of the line is straight and then go beyond that distance,pull and hold. Have him repeat this two or three times, and then gently wind the line back on the reel. To do it yourself, pull the entire line off of the spool,and leaveit on the deck of
Most modern fly lines offer superslick coatings. Even still, the saltwater environment puts a beating on all lines, making a periodic cleaning of the line an important step.Some manufacturers recommend nourishing the line with a designated coating to keep the finish slick. Before cleaning the line, check with the manufacturer for the oreferred cleaning agent.
) Keep your llne off the water. Strippingbaskets arepopular forreducing the friction that comes from the water's surface. They also keep sinking lines from sinking. But many fishing conditions don't call for the regular use of them. Take wet wading or beach fishing with a floating line, for instance. After you've finished your retrieve, regather the line in long, loose coils before you begin false-casting again. Make the loops between 2 and 3 feet long. The longer the coil, the better, since there will be fewer coils to unfold while going through the guides - and lessfriction than ifthe line sat on the water. The less friction, the longer the cast.
Save 37o/o
when you purchasea oneyear subscription.
Our new digitat versionof Fly Fishing in SaIt Waters is now available in the App Store, readyto download. APP FEATURES: . FreeSamplelssue . S o c i a [S h a r i n g .EmailArtictes . Save lmages .And More
a Do the twlst. When you're ready to present the fly to a tailing bone, try twisting the rod 9O degrees.When the line springs off the deck and shoots through the guides, it hits the rod blank, reducing the line speed and shortening your cast. Ifyou twist the rod 90 degreesto the side, the line simply flies in the air and easilyruns throughtheguides. 6
t@ FLY
FISHING
IN
SALT
WATERS
35